Cloth finishing



April 27, 1937. s. 1 cLUETT CLOTH FINISHING `s sheets-sheet 1 Filed June 7, 1955 April 27, 1937. s. CLUETT CLOTH FINISHING Filed June '7, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patentedv A pr. 27, 1937 l Sanford L. Cluett, Troy, IN. Y., assignor to Cluett,

Peabody & Co., Inc., Troy, N. Y., a corporation of New York t Application June 7, 1933, semi No. 674.636

rIhis invention relates to cloth finishing and has for its principal object the improvementl of method and mechanism employed in enhancing the surface luster of fabric, in drying fabric,

and in softening and improving the hand of sized fabric. VIt is a further object of the invention to avoid, when desired, stretching of the fabric during such treatment. My invention also aims to accomplish these objects without detriment to the body feel of the fabric, in particular without causing the fabric to acquire a feel suggestive of that of paper, such as results from treatment by a calender wherein fabric is reduced in thickness; furthermore, my invention is intended for the treatment of cloth to break down a papery feel, to break down starch adhesions, to soften the cloth and to render it heavier in feel or texture.

The invention also aims to carry out the above '0 treatment in a minimum of space, and to act on the fabric in such a way and by such mechanism that the fabric will be treated equally on both surfaces. accordingly to subject the fabric to heating and polishing and to fiexure in one direction tending to soften the fabric, and then to subject the cloth to heating and polishing action applied to its opposite surface and to flexure in a reverse direction from the initial flexure, and to do this f'i repeatedly within a small space and by simple mechanism. I

Although the above objects may be accomplishcd according to my invention without shrinking the cloth, in a preferred instance of :f5 my invention the cloth is first shrunk by instrumentalities cooperating with the drying, softening and finishing mechanism of the machine.

Mechanism constructed according to the present invention is particularly adapted to operate in conjunction with cloth shrinking mechanism to dry, soften and finish the cloth after the shrinking operation without causing stretching tend- -ing to decrease the net attained shrinkage, and

is furthermore adapted thus to act on the cloth d with equal effect on both surfaces thereof.

Other objectsy of invention, and features of advantage and utility will be apparent from this specification wherein one instance of the invention is explained by way of example.

The present application is in part a continuation of my application Serial No. 550,189, filed July 1l, 1931, for Letters Patent on Heated roll or drum, and in the preferred machine illustrated herewith employs the construction An object of the invention is` originally described and claimed in that application.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of mechanism exemplifying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical half-section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;y I Y' Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end view of the machine, partly broken away;

Fig.4 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing particularly the directions of'travel of the cloth and its treating mechanism, certain of the driving connections of the mechanism being omitted for clarity;

Fig. 51s a vertical section on line 5 5 of Fig. 1, radially through one of the hollow heating drums of the machine;

Fig. 6 isa fragmentary view similar to Fig. `5 and to a larger scale, showing one'end only of the drum; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical `section on line 'I-l'of Fig. 3, illustrating the manner of application of pressure blocks to the cloth approaching the nip point of the first roll and drum.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the illustrated machine is particularly adapted to receive at the `right of the machine a cloth Web W, to be dried, softened, polished and finished, and to carry this web W through a sinuous path (Fig. 4) defined by lower and upper series of rotatable heated -drums II, II and'IIb, and I2, I2* and I2.

At approximately the level of, and interspersed between, the lower series of hot drums II, I-I i* and Il", there is preferably provided a series of pressure rolls I3, each disposed in close proximity to one of the hot drums; a similarseries of pressure rolls I4 is preferably provided in association vvzilth the upper series of hot drums I2, I2* and Operating in conjunction with the lower series of hot drums II and pressure rolls I3 there is provided an endless blanket or web-carrier belt I5, passing as shown in Fig. 4 from suitable idler rolls I'I and I9 to the right-hand pressure roll I3 of the'lower series, thence in a sinuous path around each of the hot drums II, IIa and IIb and pressure rolls I 3 of the series, over an idler rcll 2| and back to idler roll II.

Another similar endless blanket or web-carrier belt I6 travels from idler rolls 20 and I8, over an idler roll 24, to the right-hand pressure roll I 4 oi' the upper series, thence in a sinuous path around each of the hot drums I2, I2 and I2 and pressure rolls Il of that series, around an idler roll 22 and back to idler roll 20. One important function of the two endless web-carriers Il and Il is to confine the cloth web W. under treatment, to pressure contact with each of the hot drums II, II'A and IIb and I2, 'I2'A and |25.

By way of example of frame structure suitable for mounting these instrumentalities, the machine is illustrated as having frame end uprights -ll `ioined by longitudinal upper and lower members 3|.'22 (Fig. 1),- and by transverse upper and lower members Il, 3l., 80,14* (Figs. 2 and 3). Upper and lower beams Il and 21 extending longitudinally of the machine between end uprights SII on both sides of the machine may serve toy support the respective upper and lower series of hot drums and pressure rolls. Preferably the hot drums are mounted in fixed positions on the beams 3l, and 31, 21, and eachv pressure roll movably mounted and yieldingly urged toward the next adjacent hot drum.v Referring to. Figs. 1, 2 and 3, journal bearings I3|` on opposite ends of the pressure rolls I2 may be heldin swinging frames Ill' which are connected to the beams f1 by pivotal connections Il. Any suitable springs, indicated at Il*l (Figs. 1 and 2), may be employed tourge the swinging frame's I3D and their pressure rolls .I2 toward the adjacent hot rolls. The

upper pressure rolls Il nay be similarly mounted.

The idler rolls I1 and i9 of the lower webcarrie may conveniently be mounted in brackets li at opposite sides. of the machine, with the idler roll I'Lcarriedby blocks 43 movable up and down by screws which are operated through worm and gear connections by a handwheel 41 to loosen or tighten the web-carrier Il.' The idler rolls I8 and 2l of the upper web-'carrier may be similarly mounted in brackets, with idler roll Il similarly adjustable by hand wheel 48.

Each of the hot drums II, II and IIb, and I2, I2* and I2h of the machine, preferably constructed as described in my copending application Serial No.-550,189, filed July 11, 1931, comprises as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a hollow outer cylinder 50 provided with opposite hads 5I and B2 mounted to turn on ball bearings 53 and 54 at opposite ends. The inner races of the ball bearings are mounted on'relatively stationary thick tubular members I5 and 58, extending from the opposite beams 36 or l1 of the machine frame. y Within the outer cylinder 5l thus rotatably mounted is provided a stationary cylinder 60 in close proximity to, but not touching, the outer cylinder, and lof suicient strength to hold heated fluid such as steam under any desired pressure. I'he space separating these two cylinders is preferably only that required for a running clearance between them; a clearance of about one-sixteenth of an inch or less is desirable. The opposite ends of this inner stationary cylinder are suitably closed, as by heads 62 and 03, .into which the tubular members 5l and 56 are fastened.

'Ihe tubular members 56 of the several hot drums I I and I2, adapted to supply steam thereto, are connected at one side of the machine (Fig. 1) to a suitable header or supply conduit 65 leading to a supply of steam. Valves 66 enable the supply to the individual hot drums to be controlled. At the opposite end of each drum there is preferably fitted into the tubular member l5 a pipe 69 which is bent down at its inner end to receive the condensation of steam from the inner cylinder GII. 'Ihe tubular members 65 o! the several drums II and `I2 are preferably connected by any suitable connections 10 (Fig. 3) to a trap or the like, adapted to receive the G0l1dn$$ 0f thesteam.

horizontal drive shafts 2l and l2 carry bevel "-"f gears Il adapted to rotate corresponding bevel gears 8l which are fast on cross shafts It carrying suitable pulleys 21. Suitable belts Il, run- `ning on these pulleys I'I and on pulleys 00 on hot drums II, IIb and I2, I2 serve to rotate these drums at the desired speeds. The hot drums II andl I2 may likewise be belt driven in the same manner if desired. j y

The shafts Il and I2 also preferably carry bevel gears Il adapted to rotate corresponding bevel gears 9C which are fast on cross shafts Il carrying suitable pulleys 21; one of these pulleys Il is indicated in Fig. 2. Suitable belts I! running on these pulleys Il and on pulleys IIIII on the pressure rolls Il and [Il drive these pressure rolls. 'I'he driving connections are illustrated as proportioned -to rotate the hot drums II and IIb and I2' and I2 at a considerably higher surface speed'than the surface speed of pressure rolls I3 and Il,for example, ten times higher. 'Ihe web-carrier belts Il and Il which are preferably of felt have sufficient frictional contact with the ,series of driven rolls Il and Il to prevent slippage relative thereto, and hence travel at the same speed as these rolls. Hot drums II and I2, herein shown as rotated by the action of the web carrier belts Il and I6 travel at the same speed. The hot drums I 2*, I2", andii and IIb, driven by belts Il, rotate at higher speeds as just explained, and exert a polishing action on the web of cloth under treatment; all of the hot drums preferably have very smooth polished surfaces so as to be capable of slipping readily with respect to the web W. The relatively high temperature of these hot drums further aids in facilitating slippage in polishing. If desired, for certain conditions of operation, each of the hot drums I I, II and IIb, I2, I2* and I2h may be belt driven by belts 89; also under certain conditions when polishing action is not desired, onlythe series of pressure rolls Il and Il need be driven by belts 39, all of the hot drums then traveling at the speed of the web carrier belt.

As mentioned above, the invention aims to sub- Ject the cloth to repeated fiexure in alternate directions without causing the thus treated cloth to be longer than before treatment. I have discovered that this ei'fect can be obtained by a disposition of the coacting rolls and drums such that vsprings I3", so as to nip the cloth web at the point where it attains contact with the hot drum. As clearly shown in Fig. 4, there is a'substantial gap to the left of each hot drum between the hot drum and the next succeeding pressure roll, so

that no nipping action occurs at the point where the cloth web leaves the hot drum.

The functioning of so much of the apparatus as has been thus far described will now be apparent. Cloth coming into the right-hand end of the machine in a -somewhat moist condition (for A example, containing 10% of moisture) will lbe dried by contact with the successive hot drums of the machine. The drying action of these drums. applied first to one side, then to the other of the cloth, will substantially completely dry the cloth during the complete passage of the cloth through the machine. It will be understood that in general each individual hot drum will only partially '1 dry the cloth, the cloth not attaining its desired -state of dryness until at or near the end of its travel through the machine. By subjecting the cloth to repeated bending or flexure in alternate directions concomitantly with the drying, the crystal formation of the sizing of the cloth and the adhesions of starch within the cloth are broken down, rendering the cloth softer than usual, although preserving and in fact enhancing the body feel of the cloth, rendering the cloth apparently heavier than before treatment. The ironing and polishing action of the hot drums, being alternately and repeatedly applied to the two faces of the cloth, gives the two faces the same surface characteristics. The luster of the cloth is improved by the polishing action of the hot drums, also without detriment to the .feel or softness of the cloth.

The machines ability to Isubject cloth to the described finishing treatment without delivering the cloth in a stretched condition is an improvement over the usual ironing machines which deliver the cloth flxed in a state of stretch or elongation and-hence increasingly subject to shrinkage in laundering,

It is contemplated that the cloth treated by my improved machine may be cloth having its original trade finish substantially unimpaired and preshrunk or rendered non-shrinkable in length, as by the process of my United States Patent No. 1,734,896, dated November 5, 1929, or by the process of my application Serial No. 445,300, filed April 18, 1930, Patent No. 1,801,422, dated May 31, 1932. In such use, the invention provides for improving the finish of the cloth in the respects herein described, equally on both sides of the cloth, withoutl impairing the `non-shrinking quality of the cloth. y

The mechanism of the present invention is especially adapted to include instrumentalities for effecting a lengthwise shrinkage of the cloth preferably according to the inventions described and claimed in my Patents Nos. 1,861,422, 1,861,- 423 and 1,861,424, dated May 3l, 1932.

Referring to Fig. 7, the web carrier belt I8 is preferably of substantial thickness, for example, one-quarter of an inch. In passing over the righthand pressure roll I3 the outermost surface of the belt on this roll is expanded in length, whereas in passing about the hot drum I I, the same surface of the belt is materially contracted. In passing from roll I3 to drum I| at the nip point between the members the belt reverses in fiexure, its originally outer elongated convex surface in contact with the cloth web becoming a shortened concave surface. By confining the cloth web W 'by pressure against the belt before and during such contraction of the belt, the cloth may be caused to partake of the contraction, thus becoming shorter in length. Means for compressing the cloth in this manner is herein shown as including a series of pressure blocks |30 (Figs. 7, 3 and 4) conforming to the curvature of the belt on roll I3 and extending substantially to the nip point between roll I3 and drum The cloth web W is firmly held in contact with the convex surface of belt I8 by these pressure blocks; then at the nip point is transferred from pressure confinement between the blocks |30 and belt i8 to similar confinement between belt il and hot drum I. with no substantial interval of release from such confinement. By this means the cloth thus 'caused to partake of the contraction of the belt iscompressively shortened in length an amount which may, for example, be 2 or 3 inches per yard, the

amount of such lengthwise shortening depending on the diameters of roll I3 and drum II and upo the thickness of belt I3.

'I'he swinging frames |3b associated with the lower right-hand pressure roll |3 may be suitably extended to the right, as shown at I3"1 in Fig. 7, to have fastened thereto a transverse channel bar |33 adapted for positioning and steadying the pressure blocks |30. Each pressure block I 30 is preferably provided with a lip or projecting plate |35 extending to the right (Fig. 7) under the channel bar |33 and adapted to bear upwardly against the head of a bolt |31 which thus prevents the block |30 from being caught at the nip point between roll I3 and drum A spring |38 may be employed to steady the pressure block |30 by urging this block to swing about bolt |31 as a fulcrum, against the web W. Preferably the several pressure blocks |30 are heated, to prevent sticking; this is conveniently accomplished by the inclusion within them of electric heating elements |40, connected by wires |4I to any suitable source of current. Referring now to Fig. 4, there may be located at an appropriate distance from the entrance end of the series of rolls, for example 5 to 20 feet therefrom, a pair of feed rolls |08, |09A adapted to nip the web of cloth W, and positively driven through a variable speed gear VS from a main vdrive shaft ||0. The main drive shaft Ilo'preferably is connected to the shaft 80 of the set of rolls through the intermediary of another variable speed gear VS as diagrammatically shown. Any suitable molstening device |20 may be located between the feed rolls |08, |09 and the first pressure roll |3, for the purpose of imparting to the web W a sufficient moisture content (usually about 10% by weight) if the web is not already moist. The effect of such meistening on most fabrics not already shrunk in fillingr is to cause widthwise shrinkng: such shrinking action may be increased by stretching the web W between rolls |08, |09 and I3 by suitably adjusting one or the other of the variable speed gears VS or VS'. A suitable series of sci-imp bars ||8 may be employed to prevent longitudinal wrinkles from passing, and to present the web W to the first pressure roll I3 in a widthwlse straightened condition.

By proper` adjustment of the variable speed gear VS or the similar gear VS', the cloth, finished by improvement of its body and surface characteristics, may be delivered at a definite and predetermlnable rate, which may (within limits) bear any desired ratio to the speed of entry of the untreated cloth between input rolls |08 and |09. By adjusting the delivery rate of the webcarrier belts I5 and I8 to equal the surface speed of rolls |08 and |09, the longitudinal stretch invalved in the initial weftwise shrinkage will be exactly offset by the longitudinal shrinkage imparted at the entry of the cloth between the first pressure roll I3 and the hot drum By causing the. delivery rate of the web-carrier belts I5 and I8 to be less than the speed of rolls |08 and |08, the cloth may be delivered in a lengthwise shrunken or contracted state.

The amount of shrinkage induced at the first pressure roll I3 and hot drum will be substantially constant for any given dimension oi' these n'ess of belt Il'; this amount of shrinkage may be, for example, 2 inches per yard. In that case by causing the belt I6 to deliver the cloth at 34/36 the rate oi.' input between rolls |08 and N9, the

maximum longitudinal shrinkage capacity of the' The present invention provides for the completecontrol over the treated web throughout a drying, starch-breaking, polishing and finishing process following the longitudinal shrinking operation without loss even in part of the shrinkage attained by such shrinking operatiomand without impairing the range of adjustment of the net iinal shrinkage attained.

I claim:

1. Cloth finishing mechanism having therein opposed series of smoothV rotatable drums adapted to polish cloth, and a pair of endless web-carrier belts, one passing in a sinuous path about one series only of the drums and the other passing in a sinuous path about the other series only of the drums, the drums and beltsbeing so disposed with respect to each other that a web of cloth can pass around drums of the two series in alternation in contact therewith, under the confinement ot the corresponding carrier belts. .2. Cloth finishing mechanism having therein in combination, means for` subjecting a traveling cloth web to repeated relatively abrupt fiexures in alternate directions a plurality of times in 4o each direction by defining a path oi' travel in the form of successive reverse curves, and means for exerting confining pressure normal to the cloth as it passes around said curves, and means for polishing the thus coniined cloth alternately on both surfaces. ,x

3. Cloth iinishing mechanism having therein in combination, means for polishing a traveling web of cloth repeatedly on alternate surfaces thereof, a plurality of times on each surface, and means for subjecting the cloth intermediate the several successive polishing operations to abrupt changes of iiexure such as will soften sizing in the cloth, said polishing means including means for drying the cloth.

4. Art of finishing cloth which comprises conveying the cloth lengthwise and during such travel subjecting the'cloth to repeated polishing action on alternate surfaces thereof, a plurality of times Von each surface, while applying heat to dryfthe cloth, and intermediate the several successive pol hing operations subjecting the cloth parte, shape of blocks m and kind 'and thickof, a plurality of times on each surface; applying heat to dry the cloth, and, without substantially stretching the cloth, subjecting it to abrupt changes in iiexure between the several successive polishing operations.

6. Cloth --Iinishing mechanism having therein a pair of traveling web-carrier belts, means including opposed seriesi of' -heated drying drums for defining sinuous paths of travel for said belts, the said belts and drums being Varranged to permit a web of cloth to be conveyed alternately around drums of the opposed' series in 'contact with each drum and its associated belt,

means for causing the cloth web to be supplied `by one oi' said belts to one of the drums in a longitudinally contracted state,- and means for maintaining the speeds of the two belts equal, so as to deliver the cloth from the last drum withoiut loss of its condition of longitudinal contract on.

7. A cloth finishing mechanism adapted to operate on a traveling cloth web, having therein in combination, opposed series of rolls deiining a path of travel for said web imparting repeated abrupt iiexures to the web in alternate directions, traveling blankets adapted to press" the web against and in contact with said rolls as the web travels around said rolls, and guide means for the blankets positioned to nip the blankets against the web and roll at each point where the web runs onto one' of said. rolls and to release the web from the pressure of the blanket without nipping at each point of departure of the web from said roll.

8.` A cloth iinishing mechanism adapted to operate on a traveling cloth web, having therein in combination, opposed series of rolls deiining a path of travel for-said web imparting repeated 'abrupt flexures to the web in alternate directions, traveling blankets adapted to press the web against and in contact with said rolls as the web travels around said rolls, and guide means for the blankets positioned to nip the blanket against the web and roll at each point where the web runs onto one of said rolls and to release the web from the pressure of the blanket without nipping at each point of departure of the web from said roll, the machine including means for causing the blankets and the rolls to travel at dierent surface speeds, thereby repeatedly to polish the web alternately on both surfaces.v

9. A-cloth finishing mechanism adapted to operate on a traveling cloth web, having therein in combination, opposed series of heated rolls defining a path of travel for said web imparting repeated abrupt fiexures to the web in alternate directions, traveling blankets adapted to press the web against and in contact with said rolls as the web travels around said rolls, and guide means for the blankets positioned to nip the blanket against the web and roll at each point where the web runs onto one of said rolls and to release the web from the pressure of the blanket Awithout nipping at each point-of ydeparture of the web from said roll.

SANFORD L. CLUETT. 

